Refrigeration control service



Nov. 1, 1955 J. G. HAILEY REFRIGERATION CONTROL SERVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 21, 1953 James 6. Hailey IN V EN TOR.

BY W n 18m Nov. 1, 1955 J. G. HAILEY REFRIGERATION CONTROL SERVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 21, 1953 7 V// W/i Fig.3

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United States Patent REFRIGERATION CONTROL SERVICE James G. Hailey, Dallas, Tex. Application September 21, 1953, Serial No. 381,288

3 Claims. (Cl. 62-7) This invention relates to a refrigeration control device and particularly to a device responsive to the accumulation of ice in a heat storage device for controlling the supply of refrigerant cooling coil therein.

In air conditioning systems it has heretofore been known to provide a heat exchanger in the form of a tank of water with a cooling coil therein and means to circulate the water to absorb heat from any desired medium. It is customary to provide these devices with a capacity equal to the average capacity of the cooling system and store energy in the water tank by means of an accumulation of ice therein so that during peak loads on the cooling system the ice may be melted to supply the necessary energy to the cooling system and during off loads on the cooling system the ice will be accumulated to store the energy necessary to meet the peak.

In the utilization of such energy-storing means it is necessary to provide some means responsive to the thickness of the ice to shut off the accumulation thereof so that the tank does not become ice-bound whereby the circulation may be impeded so that cooling will not take place; this will also prevent damage of the equipment by an excess accumulation of ice.

The present invention provides a control system utilizing a solenoid operated valve for controlling the flow of compressed refrigerant to the cooling coil and a bleeder or drip tube connected into the water container and having an opening at a spaced distance from the refrigerating coil so that the accumulation of a predetermined amount of ice thereon will stop the aperture of the bleeder tube and prevent the flow of water from the container thereinto. A pressure responsive switch is then responsive to the pressure within the bleeder tube and a control valve controls the flow of water therethrough so that when the ice closes the intake aperture the pressure on the tube will fall and cause the switch to deenergize the solenoid valve.

It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide an improved heat exchanger.

A further object of the invention is to provide a heat exchanger having energy storing means with a control system.

A further object of the invention is to provide a control system for an energy storing device.

A further object of the invention is to provide a bleeder tube having control means associated therewith for controlling the accumulation of ice in a container.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic illustration of a heat exchanger, energy storing system, provided with a control device according to the invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail view of an indicator for the control device;

Figure 3 is an elevational view of a modified control device;

Figure 4 is a schematic showing of a closed heat exchanger-with the modified control device installed; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of an indicator for use with a modified controller.

In the exemplification according to the invention, a container 10 contains a quantity of water 12 and is provided with suitable insulation 14. A circulating conduit 16 and 18 draws water out of the tank 10 and passes it through a suitable cooling system and returns it thereto. A plurality of cooling coils 20 are passed in the fluid in the tank 10 and a compressor 22 is connected to the cooling coils by a suction line 24 so that the evaporated refrigerant in the coils 20 will be drawn off and compressed and the compressed refrigerant will be delivered to a condenser 26 and to a receiver tank 28 from whence it will be delivered through a conduit 30 to a refrigerant valve 32 which is provided with a solenoid operating coil 34 and also with a thermostatic refrigerant valve 36 responsive to a thermostat 38 connected with the suction line'24 so that refrigerant may be circulated when the valves 36 and 38 are open.

The controller for the solenoid valve 32 comprises a source of energy such as a transformer 40. The energy flowing through the transformer 40 is controlled by a pressure responsive switch 42 which is responsive to the pressure on a bleeder line 44 which extends through an aperture 46 in the side of a container 10 and is provided with a suitable stuffing gland 48 for preventing the loss of water thereon. The upper end of the bleeder tube 44 is provided with a feeder tube 50 having an aperture 52 at the top end thereof; the tube 50 being offset so that the aperture 52 is in predetermined proximity to the cooling coil 20. A release or controller valve 54 is placed on the outer end of a bleeder tube 44 and controls the flow of water therethrough. This valve which ismanually adjustable provides a permanently operating positively acting pressure relieving means for the tube, which produces a predetermined drop of the hydraulic pressure within the tube, and relieves pressure when the opening 52 is closed. For simplicity of illustration, the valve 54 is shown as the usual spigot type valve although obviously any type of valve or controlled aperture may be used. The bleeder tube 44 is preferably'slidably received in the packing 48 so that the aperture 52 may be adjusted toward or away from the coil 20. In order to readily determine the adjustment of the aperture 52 indicia 58 may be placed on the tube 44 so that the adjustment of the aperture 52 may be readily determined.

Pressure switch 42 is preferably of a type provided with a Sylphon type bellows 60 carrying a movable con-' tact 62 for cooperation with a fixed contact 64 so that the release of pressure in the bellows 60 will cause the contact 62 to be separated from contact 64 and deenergize the solenoid 34 so that the solenoid valve 32 will be closed.

In the exemplification according to Figure 4, a tank is provided with a top 112 so that the water in the tank 16 is maintained under suitable pressure. A bleeder line 114 is placed inside of the container 110 and is provided with an aperture 116 with the bleeder line 114 passing through a packing gland 118. The bleeder tube 114 may be rotated in the gland 118 to move the aperture 116 toward or away from the refrigerating coil 20.

The gland 118 may be provided with indicia 122 and a pointer 124 may be placed on the bleeder tube 114 so that the exact adjustment of the aperture 116 may be readily ascertained.

In the operation of the device according to the invention, the presence of unfrozen water at the aperture 52 or 116 will cause the tubes 44 or 114 to be filled with water and the valve 54 will control the rate of flow therethrough and the valve 54 is set at a less rate of fiow than is permitted by the apertures 52 or 116 so that a pressure would be built up in the bleeder tubes 44 or 115 so that the switches 42 will be actuated by the pressure in the bleeder tubes 44 or 114 to close the circuit and cause the solenoid 34 to open the valve 32 so that refrigerant may flow through the expansion coils 20. During any period of reduced demand for heat exchange the coils 20 will build up ice thereon so that the energy will be available for the next peak demand. If the ice builds up to a point where the ice covers the apertures 52 or 116 the water will cease flowing into the bleeder tubes and the valve 54 will reduce the pressure therein so that the pressure switches 42 will deenergize the solenoids 34 and close the valves 32 to prevent further flow of refrigerant through the coils 2t) and the accession of ice on the coils 20.

For the purpose of exemplification, particular embodiments of the invention have been shown and described according to the best present understanding thereof. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made in the construction and arrangements of the parts thereof without departing from the true spirit of the invention.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. For use in a heat exchanger having a solenoid valve controlling the fiow of refrigerant to a refrigerating element which stores energy by producing a coating of ice on the refrigerating element, a controller comprising a conduit provided with permanently operating positively acting pressure controlling and relieving means having an opening in proximity to the refrigerating element, said opening adapted to be closed by a predetermined thickness of ice on said element, a pressure switch responsive to the pressure in said conduit, a relief valve connected to said conduit, and circuit means including said pressure switch adapted to energize said solenoid valve, means for adjusting the position of said opening with respect to said refrigerating element, and indicating means indicating the position of said opening.

2. In a heat exchanger and energy storage system having a water filled container with a cooling coil immersed in the water and means for supplying condensed refrigerant to said cooling coil, a control device comprising a solenoid valve controlling the fiow of refrigerant to said cooling coil, a trickle tube mounted in said container and extending through the wall of said container, said tube having an opening in the container in spaced relation to said cooling coil, and being provided with permanently operating manually adjustable positive pressure controlling and relieving means a valve controlling the fiow of water through said tube, a pressure switch responsive to the pressure in said tube, circuit means including said pressure switch for energizing said solenoid valve, and means for adjusting said tube in said container to vary the distance of said opening from said cooling coil.

3. In a heat exchanger and energy storage system having a water filled container with a cooling coil immersed in the water and means for supplying condensed refrigerant to said cooling coil, a control device comprising a solenoid valve controlling the flow of refrigerant to said cooling coil, a trickle tube mounted in said container and extending through the wall of said container, and provided with permanently operating manually adjustable positive pressure control and relieving means said tube having an opening in the container in spaced relation to said cooling coil, a valve controlling the flow of water through said tube, a pressure switch responsive to the pressure in said tube, and circuit means including said pressure switch for energizing said solenoid valve, a sliding connection between said tube and said container for varying the relation of said opening to said cooling coil, and indicia for indicatng the adjustment.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,937,698 Hoffman Dec. 5, 1933 2,512,066 Linfor June 20, 1950 2,561,437 Cobb July 24, 1951 2,593,874 Grandia Apr. 22, 1952 2,633,004 Leeson Mar. 31, 1953 2,674,101 Calling Apr. 6, 1954 a-t-a- -1 

